


AlMei Week 2013

by xslytherclawx



Series: Shamballa 'verse [4]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: AlMei Week, Canon: Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa, Drachma, F/M, Tea, Weimar Germany, cat!Xiao Mei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-08
Updated: 2013-07-13
Packaged: 2017-12-18 02:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/874566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xslytherclawx/pseuds/xslytherclawx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I thought I'd try my hand at this.<br/>One chapter per prompt.</p><p>Only chapter one/ prompt #1 is part of Shamballa 'verse, but still.<br/>Chapters two - seven / prompts #2-7 take place in the universe of the FMA manga. 2 & 6 in Xing, 3 & 7 in Amestris, 4 in Drachma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1: Ulterior Motives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> general  
> -Shamballa-verse. Anime1 with alter-Mei and alter-Ling.  
> -In this, Al is 14, Mei is 13, Ling is 18, and Ed is 19 or 20.  
> -Setting: Berlin, Germany 1924.
> 
> cultural notes!  
> -There were apparently a number of Chinese immigrants in Weimar Berlin. who knew?  
> -Oberrealschule: type of secondary school, 9 years, which allowed for university qualification. focused on maths, sciences, and modern languages. (as opposed to Gymnasium, which was classical education incl. latin and greek, and Realgymnasium, which was classical/liberal arts, with modern languages)  
> -When Mei says she's an Imperalist: she's actually a princess. and Ling's a prince. But saying that could get them into some trouble.  
> -Unterprima: basically, 12th grade, out of 13 grades.  
> -Obertertia: basically 9th grade.  
> -I am woefully ignorant about actual Chinese cuisine, and I didn't want to rely too much on wiki for this, so I kept it vague  
> 

Edward was unsure of what to make of Al's newfound love for Chinese food. Sure, food was food, and if it was edible, Ed would eat it, but... German food found a way to be much more filling than Ed expected almost any other cuisine could manage... and Chinese food certainly couldn't beat that. That wasn't to mention that Ed and Al both were decent cooks, for more traditional German dishes, and constantly going out and buying Chinese food was starting to get too expensive.

Ed decided to put his foot down when Al came home with a package of food from the Chinese restaurant for the fifth time that week.

“You have to be getting sick of this stuff.”

Al shrugged. “I like it. It's different.”

“It was different the first twenty times. Now it's just getting expensive.”

“Oh. Um, I guess I'll try to cook more, then.” 

“Thanks.”

-x-

German schools were difficult, to put it lightly. Edward had wanted to assimilate as much as possible, which meant enrolling Alphonse in a secondary school. The brothers had decided upon the type termed  _Oberrealschule_ , which focused on science, mathematics, and modern languages, as opposed to the more traditional liberal arts and latin. This suited Alphonse, of course, and while he'd been excellent at alchemy... he wasn't sure about physics. He picked up on it rather quickly, to be sure, but it could be frustrating. He and Ed had been prodigies, and Al was sure that there were few people who knew more about alchemy than he did... but physics was another matter.

With some help, Alphonse managed to learn the basics of physics that he'd apparently missed (chemistry, with its similarities to alchemy, was easy enough, and biology was something that Alphonse had already studied in some amount of detail, back when he and Ed were kids...). He wasn't top of his class in physics by any means, but he got by, and managed to earn decent grades.

Where the Chinese restaurant came in... well, that was relatively simple.

When Al had plucked up the courage to ask his teacher for a physics tutor, the man had told him to stay after class the following Monday. Alphonse had done so, and had been rather surprised to see a teenager who looked Xingese enter the room. He was obviously older than Alphonse, and had slicked back black hair, brown-black eyes, and wore a fairly new suit in gold.

“I'm not going to stay here any longer than I have to, so if you want me to tutor you, you're going to have to come with me.”

Alphonse had nodded blankly and followed the boy to some Chinese restaurant, where the older boy pointed to a table and told Al to sit down. “I need to get my books from upstairs.”

Al had nodded and watched the other boy duck into the back room. It occurred to him that he had no idea what his tutor's name even was. Al shifted uncomfortably, and took out his physics book to distract himself.

A girl walked out from the back room with a pot of tea in her hand and a small... cat? on her shoulder. “I'll be right back out with cups...”

“Um, I'm not a customer...”

“Oh, I know! But Ling asked if I'd bring you some tea. I'm Mei.”

Alphonse wasn't sure of the etiquette here, so he extended his arm. “Alphonse Elric.”

The girl blushed slightly at the gesture and shook his hand timidly. “This is Xiao Mei,” she added, indicating the animal on her shoulder. “I found her in the rain when she was a kitten.”

Al smiled. “She's really cute! I love cats.” He went to pet the animal, which promptly bit him. He grimaced a bit, but waited for the cat to let go of his finger, which she eventually did.

“Sorry,” Mei murmured. “I should have mentioned that she really doesn't like other people...”

“It's fine. I'm not bleeding. No harm done.” He offered the girl a reassuring smile, and she blushed.

“I'll be right back with your cups...”

Al nodded and the girl hurried off, returning shortly with two cups. She poured the tea for Alphonse and Ling. “If you want anything to eat, I can get you a menu...”

“Ah, no thank you. I'm not hungry right now.”

The girl nodded. “Okay.”

“Are you from around here? You have an interesting accent.”

“China... you probably wouldn't know the province or city.”

“It's a pretty accent,” Al added, as Mei seemed rather insecure with his comment. “My brother and I aren't from around here, either... we grew up in a town in the countryside.”

“I don't know much about Germany besides what I've learned in school.”

Al nodded. “It's weird, though. Berlin is so different from Munich.”

“You used to live in Munich?”

“Only for a few weeks, while my brother got some things in order to move here.”

“What's so different about it?”

Al shrugged. “It's a lot more... traditional, I guess. I only met one immigrant the entire time I was there, and apparently Ed and I lived in one of the more working class neighbourhoods. There's no rationing, either. But that only benefits the rich. Um, there were some... riots, right before I came to Munich, about... antisemitism, I think our landlady called it? They said that Jews were inferior to regular Germans... which is ridiculous. I like Berlin a lot better,” he added.

“I like Berlin, too... but I miss China.”

“Can't you go back?”

Mei shook her head. “Our family were... imperialists, I guess. Besides, with what's going on there now... we're much safer here.”

Al couldn't help but sympathise with this girl, but he couldn't figure out a way to tell her that he was going through much the same thing without raising too many questions.

The girl smiled. “Besides, I've lived here most of my life, now. And if I'd stayed in China, I never would have met Xiao Mei!” She scratched the cat behind her ears.

Ling emerged from the back room with a physics book, a notebook, and a heavy adding machine. “Mei, why don't you get me something to eat? I'm hungry.” He acknowledged Alphonse. “Do you want anything?”

“Um...” Alphonse knew that he ought to refuse again, but his rumbling stomach gave him away. “Maybe just something small...”

“Do you have any preference?” Mei asked.

“Um... I don't really know that much about Chinese food,” Al admitted.

“What kind of meat do you like?”

“All kinds?”

Mei nodded and went back to the back room.

Ling turned to address Alphonse. “I'm Ling Yu, and that's my half-sister, Mei Zhang.”

Al nodded. “I'm Alphonse Elric.”

“I know who you are. I'm your tutor, aren't I? Anyway, I'm in Unterprima, and I'm just going to end up inheriting this place, so I have no idea why my mother pushed me to go to Oberrealschule. But... here I am. Anyway, I've gotten into some trouble with missing classes, and this was the only way to make up the credit.”

“But you're good at physics?”

“When I show up to class... which I did when I was in Obertertia. Look, when I was your age, I was one of the best at physics, okay? Don't worry about it.”

-x-

It had turned out that Ling was right. Not only did he understand the material, he didn't try to dumb it down too much.

“How are you so bad at physics if you're one of the top of your class in chemistry and biology?”

Al shrugged. “They never taught us physics at my old school. Everything was based in chemistry and biology.”

“Well, I have to say... you're a quick learner.” Ling popped another dumpling in his mouth. For the life of him, Al couldn't understand how anyone could eat so much and never seem to be full. “You don't seem to have much trouble with the material  _now_... I think you just needed the basics.”

“Uh, yeah, probably. It's actually... less confusing than chemistry.”

“That's because physics follows the same laws... and chemistry... well, who ever knows with that?” Ling shrugged.

Alphonse wanted to object, but there was really no point. Chemistry did follow some confusing laws, and physics... well, it didn't. Besides, he wanted Ling to keep tutoring him. The young man was funny, and, well, Mei was very nice, and her cat was very cute.

-x-

Of course, he couldn't have expected Ling to tutor him forever. It took a little over two months, and when Al had scored the highest in his class on the latest physics exam, Ling's help was deemed no longer needed.

It was about a week later when Al ventured to the Chinese restaurant alone.

“Alphonse!” Mei squeaked. Xiao Mei ran over to the boy and rubbed against his legs. Al reached down to scratch the black and white cat behind her ears.

“I've been craving some of those dumplings,” he said with a smile.

Mei nodded and smiled. “I'll get you some. Anything else?”

“Tea, please?”

“Of course! Sit down anywhere you'd like,” she added. Al obliged, and Xiao Mei jumped into his lap. It was strange; after their first meeting, Xiao Mei seemed to have developed some sort of affection for the boy. Al had no idea what he'd done to earn it, but he didn't really question it.

Instead, he waited for Mei to come back with his tea and food. When she did, he asked her if she'd like to sit down. Mei politely refused, saying that she needed to work.

Al nodded, and he didn't quite understand why he felt slightly hurt by this. He decided that he had merely rather thought that he and Mei were friends. But still, she did have to work, and Al knew this. So he contented himself with eating the admittedly delicious meal, while Xiao Mei sat purring on his lap.

He paid for his meal after he'd finished, and Xiao Mei jumped from his lap and back to Mei's shoulder. “Thank you,” he said earnestly. “It was delicious.”

Mei smiled and blushed. “You're more than welcome to come back any time.”

-x-

The fourth time Al stopped by the Chinese restaurant by himself, he considered that he may, in fact, have some other reason to visit the place besides the admittedly delicious food.

It struck him that Mei was very pretty. She was nice, too, and she always seemed very excited to see him when he stopped by. It was nice, especially after a stressful full day at school. He enjoyed his school, but certain aspects of it were certainly challenging... and it was nice to relax.

He'd begun holding actual conversations with Mei, and found her to be quite charming. She was intelligent and sharp-witted, and he found out that Mei wanted to be a chemist.

“But it's very hard to get your doctorate in chemistry as a woman... so, I was thinking that I could maybe study medicine.” She shrugged. “They have some similar components...”

“That would be amazing!” Al enthused. “I think you'd be a really good doctor!”

Mei blushed. “Thank you... do you have any idea what it is you want to do?”

It was Alphonse's turn to shrug. “I'm not sure yet. I... used to want to be a chemist. I still think that might be nice. I'm not sure I'd have the stomach to be a doctor...”

Mei smiled. “Well, I think that sounds wonderful.”

Alphonse couldn't help but smile back.

-x-

“Mei, do you think that I could maybe... take some of your food home? I really want my brother to try it, but...” How could he properly say that he was a bit hesitant to introduce Mei to Ed?

“Oh, of course! You'll have to return the containers,” she added.

“Of course,” Al repeated, assuring her.

-x-

“Do you like it? A classmate of mine has parents who run a restaurant.”

Ed shrugged. “It's good, I guess.”

Al grinned.

-x-

Al had kept his promise to cook more often, but he still ended up taking some Chinese food home for dinner once a week.

One day, when Al went to take the containers back to the restaurant, Ed insisted upon accompanying him. Al tried to talk his brother out of it, but soon saw that this was a lost cause. So Al allowed his brother to walk with him to the small Chinese restaurant where Mei and Ling worked.

Al opened the front door, and Xiao Mei came trotting over. “Hello, Xiao Mei,” he greeted, petting the cat.

“What is that? A little bear thing?”

“She's a cat. Her name is Xiao Mei.”

Ed shrugged and went to pet the cat, who promptly bit him. “What the  _fuck_!” He put the containers down on a table and tried to pry the cat off of his finger, to no avail. Mei came running out of the back room and picked up Xiao Mei, carefully extracting Edward's finger from the small cat's mouth.

“What the hell is wrong with that animal!?”

“I'm sorry,” Mei said politely, although it was fairly clear that she didn't mean it. “She likes to assert her dominance.” Before Edward could reply, she turned back to Al. “Do you want me to get you some more food, or are you just returning the containers?”

“Just returning, thanks.” He smiled at Mei, who blushed slightly. She handed Xiao Mei to Al before picking up the containers and taking them into the back room, promising to be right back.

Ed turned to Alphonse and gave him a look. “So is  _this_  why you've been so obsessed with Chinese food lately?”

Al shook his head, but he was unable to prevent the blood from rushing to his cheeks.


	2. Day 2: Tradition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unlike the last chapter, this fits into Brotherhood canon, and is not part of my Shamballa 'verse series.
> 
> Not German stuff, so really no weird cultural notes that I need to list.
> 
> setting  
> Xing, post-canon.  
> Al is around 17-18  
> Mei is 15-16

Xing was an old country, with a rich history and an incredibly interesting and varied culture. Al was surprised to find that many of the buildings in Xing predated even Amestris itself – which took him quite a while to get used to. Still, the buildings were beautiful, and the culture was so different from Amestris that Al couldn't help but be in awe. He'd read books, both while he was recovering and on the way over, but it didn't compare to seeing the country in person.

Unfortunately, Al wasn't able to spend all of his time in Xing wandering around the various cities. He had things to do.

First of these was learning Alkahestry from Mei. It was more difficult than he'd anticipated, but Mei managed not to lose her temper with him, and he was slowly beginning to get the hang of it.

Second, he was trying to learn Xingese. Again, for this he had Mei as a tutor, and she taught in a way that was easy for him to understand. He had difficulty working out the lack of articles in the language, and the intonation confused the hell out of him (how could a word said in a different pitch mean something _totally different_? It didn't make sense!), but he was making progress, albeit even more slowly than he had with Alkahestry.

And, of course, he had to make a point to visit Ling, who was now Emperor of Xing.

Between all of this, Al was very busy, and had little time to himself.

This was, really, quite a shame, because he couldn't help but notice how beautiful Mei had become in the years that she'd been gone. Oh, they'd kept in correspondence, of course, but he'd always pictured her as the tiny girl with the even tinier panda on her shoulder. He certainly hadn't expected to come to Xing to find a beautiful teenage girl waiting for him.

It had never really occurred to him to ask Mei's age. He'd assumed that she was much younger than he was, due to her height. But he realised, upon getting to know the girl on less pressing terms a bit better, Mei was only a little over two years younger than Al himself.

He had been unable to fathom how a twelve-year-old girl could be so tiny as Mei had been, but apparently she'd hit a growth spurt shortly after she'd returned, and, well... she'd left the admittedly adorable tiny girl behind in favour of a beautiful young woman. But then... Al didn't have much time to focus on that; he was too busy with other things.

However, Mei always made sure to make time for a cup of tea in the evening. Xing had amazing tea; Alphonse made a note in his travel journal to buy some to take home so that Ed and Winry and Pinako could try some.

Mei had made tea for Alphonse the first night that he'd been in Xing, and she continued with this for the duration of his stay. The type of tea varied – Al was sure that by the time he'd left, he'd had every type of tea in Xing, but when he'd voiced this thought to Mei, she'd laughed gently and shaken her head – but it was always delicious. He noted that Mei tended to favour lighter teas in the evening. She told him once that, while she did enjoy some more robust teas, it was more of a morning kind of tea for her. Still, Al was amazed by the taste.

In Amestris, he was lucky to get something that wasn't just plain black tea, but here... they made teas out of things that Alphonse hadn't been aware were suitable for the drink. He loved just about every type of tea that Mei offered him, and he tended to favour the ones with a floral or fruity flavour to them.

No matter what either of them had done that day, or what they still had to do later in the day, the tea became a tradition between the two of them. It was always around the same time, and always a very nice way to relax and chat.

Al had made sure to get a variety of tea leaves before he returned home, and, once he was back in Amestris, he found himself making tea in the evenings as well. Always a lighter tea, and no matter what they day held.

Traditions were traditions for a reason, after all.


	3. Day 3: Teacher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Al needs a bit of help...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to do something other than "Mei teaches Al Xingese/Alkahestry" so  
> this happened.
> 
> Set at some point post-canon where Mei is at least 18.
> 
> Promoted all of Team Mustang because, let's be real, they probably were promoted after the Promised Day

“I have a favour to ask.”

“Yes?”

“I... Mei and I recently became engaged...”

“Ah. Yes. I meant to congratulate the two of you...”

“I don't know how to dance.”

Riza stiffened slightly. “If you've come here to ask me for help, Alphonse, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to disappoint you. I never learned how to dance, either.”

“Oh.” Al tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. “Do you know anyone who might be able to help...?”

“Well... if you're unable to find a teacher... I do know that Brigadier General Mustang is a very good dancer. Maybe he'd be willing to help you.”

Al paled. “Maybe...”

-

He had exhausted all other options, and so Al was left with the unpleasant realisation that asking Mustang may be his only hope. It wasn't that he disliked the man... it was merely that he couldn't imagine learning how to dance with Mustang as instructor. Still, he was getting desperate... which called for some desperate measures.

He felt distinctly anxious as he made his way to Mustang's office. He almost hoped that Mustang wasn't in, but that wasn't the case. Naturally, the Brigadier General was at his desk, not doing paperwork. He looked up when Alphonse entered the room.

“Alphonse Elric. To whom do I owe the pleasure?”

“Um... hello, Brigadier General. Could I speak to you in private?”

Roy frowned. “What's this about?”

“It's nothing serious,” Al assured his brother's former CO. “I just... would rather discuss this privately.” He smiled nervously at Havoc and Breda, who were trying not to look like they were listening in.

Roy caught Al looking over at his subordinates and nodded. He led Alphonse to his private office and closed the door. “So what's so important that you need to speak with me in private?”

“You know that Mei and I got engaged...”

“Yes. Did you receive my congratulations?”

Al nodded. “That's not why I'm here, though.”

“What is it?”

“I can't dance.”

“I see...”

“I asked Captain Hawkeye, and she said that you might be able to teach me?”

Roy considered it. “I could make time. I assume that's why you wanted to speak to me privately?”

“Well, Mei and I wanted to invite everyone on the team to the wedding... and I can only imagine what Havoc would say if he found out that I needed to learn how to dance. Ed and I... just never got a chance to try anything like that.”

The Brigadier General nodded. “Are you staying in East City?”

“No... but I can spend a week or so here if I need to...”

“That would probably be a good idea... I don't have much free time.”

“How long do you think it'll take until I can dance?”

“Well... I assume you'll be waltzing at the wedding? It's not difficult to learn.”

Al shrugged. “I guess... I don't really know anything about dancing at all.”

Roy smiled understandingly. “I can teach you. And don't worry – I'll make sure no one finds out.”

“Thank you so much, Brigadier General Mustang!” Al shook the man's hand enthusiastically.

“Don't mention it.”

-

The day of the wedding approached almost too quickly... yet Al was more than ready. It certainly didn't hurt that Ed would be by his side the entire time – it was only natural that his brother would be his best man. He exchanged a nervous smile with his brother, and made sure to greet the Brigadier General and thank him very much for attending.

Mei was absolutely beautiful. Al almost couldn't believe that he was lucky enough to be marrying her... and he couldn't keep the ridiculous grin off of his face.

“I love you so much,” he murmured as she came to stand next to him.

-

The first dance went much better than Alphonse could have hoped. When the band started up a waltz, he breathed a sigh of relief. Brigadier General Mustang had been confident that Al had mastered the basics of the waltz, and Mei had been pleasantly surprised with her new husband's dance skills.

Of course, Al should have known that it was too good to last.

The next song was different, and Al took that as an excuse to sit out for the round. Mei was a bit confused, but accepted it easily enough. She danced with a few others, but eventually came back to the head table.

“Is something bothering you, Alphonse?”

Al couldn't help but blush. “I, um... I don't really know how to dance,” he confessed. “I learned how to waltz, but, um...”

Mei smiled. “I don't need to dance. I'm just as happy sitting here with you.”

Al beamed and kissed her. “Have I told you how wonderful you are?”

“Maybe once or twice...” his wife murmured. She kissed him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”


	4. Day 4: Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei and Al take a trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you won't really need any translations but let it be known that all of my information comes from legit literature from the parallel of said country, or from people I know personally who have lived there.
> 
> Setting at some point when Al and Mei are both above 18, but before their wedding.

When the train pulled into the station, Al looked out the window to see a sign that read: Петроград, and in smaller letters, underneath: железнодорожная станция. Since neither he nor Mei could read a word of it, Al checked in his book, and, upon confirming that the characters matched up to the ones he was looking for, informed Mei that this was their stop.

They exited the train feeling uncertain. He was sure that they stood out – most people around here had darker colouring than he did, and Mei, clearly Xingese, certainly looked different from everyone around them.

It wasn't long before they were spotted. “Mr. Elric and Princess Chang?”

The man's accent was thick, but Al and Mei had been able to understand it. “That's us,” Mei assured the man.

“My name is Nikolai Mikhailovich Vasilyev. You are to come with me, and I will show you where you are to be staying.”

-

“It has been a very long time since we have had visitors from your countries. There has been much tension with your country, in particular, Mr. Elric.”

“Yes, I know,” Al told the man. “My brother and I visited Fort Briggs a few years ago...”

Nikolai Mikhailovich nodded. “You are surprised to find that Drachma is not all frozen tundra?”

“A bit,” Al admitted.

“The winters even in Peter are harsh. But you are here in the summer.”

That was an understatement. The humid weather of _Peter_ , as the guide called the city, was something that Al was not quite used to. Resembool got hot, sure, but it was in the East, by the desert. It was a dry heat, not this pressing humidity.

“You want to watch out for mosquitos,” Nikolai Mikhailovich advised. “Peter was built on a marsh, and there are many mosquitos in the summer. Your windows will have nets, and I would suggest wearing long sleeves if you go out at night.”

“We were told that it doesn't get dark until very late here?”

“Yes. You will have thick curtains, so that you may sleep at a reasonable hour, if you so wish.”

“...How late is 'very late'?” Mei asked.

“This time? Around one in the morning.”

Al and Mei exchanged looks.

Nikolai Mikhailovich continued, “It is only dark for a few hours, and the white nights can cause some strange behaviour. Our poets have written verse after verse on the odd effects.”

Al couldn't help but remember the nights when he'd been unable to sleep – for a completely different reason. He'd, of course, met sleep-deprived people before... and he had to agree with the guide; the effects could be... alarming. He couldn't imagine having an entire city sleep-deprived at the same time.

“The two of you will be staying in one of Peter's finest hotels. The emperor has reserved two of the best rooms for the two of you.”

“That's very kind of him,” Al said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Mei reached for his hand and clasped it in his, offering him a small smile.

-

“This is a _really_ nice hotel,” Mei said. The two were sitting in Alphonse's hotel room, which was decked out in silks, velvet, and gold. 

“I know... they must really be trying to impress us.”

“I've never seen buildings like this before.”

“It's a beautiful city, isn't it?”

Mei nodded. “It really is.”

Al grinned. “I'll be honest, though. I'm just glad these rooms have thick curtains.”

“Do you want to test how thick the walls are?”

-

Nikolai Mikhailovich took them on a tour of the city the next day. The couple didn't have to feign their interest in the city's architecture, or the tidbits about Drachman culture. It was so different from anything that either of them had experienced, and more than once, Al felt guilty for the Drachman soldiers who had died as part of Father's plot. However, he didn't have any time to dwell on this. The city was truly fantastic, and by the time that the trio ducked into a restaurant for lunch, Al and Mei were starting to feel tired. It was partially their fault, after all. They had been... rather unable to sleep, through no fault of the White Nights.

The food was unusual, but both found it rather delicious.

“You should be glad that you didn't come during the Bright Sadness... it would be hard to find such rich food in Peter then.”

“What is the Bright Sadness?” Al asked.

“It is something of a spring tradition, before Pascha. All in Drachma participate. We cannot eat meat, dairy, eggs, wine, or olive oil. We also give alms to our neighbours, and pray.”

Al nodded. “That sounds very difficult... I'm not sure that I could manage it.”

“Me, either,” Mei added. “I could do the alms, but I'm not sure I could manage the fasting part.”

“It is difficult,” Nikolai Mikhailovich conceded. “But it is rewarding.”

“I should hope so,” Al said as he ate some more of his pelmini.

-

“This is the main Prospekt,” their guide said as they rode a carriage through the streets.

“What's with those people?” Mei asked, looking out the window at the merchants dressed in rags.

“They are the descendants of serfs, who our Emperor freed fifty years ago.”

“But why are they in rags?”

“Peter is an expensive city. Many cannot afford to live well here.”

“That hardly seems fair.”

Nikolai Mikhailovich shrugged. “Life in Peter is rarely fair.”

-

The next day, Mei and Alphonse were to meet the ambassador. The man was kind enough; he did not seem to hold the conflicts between Amestris and Drachma against Alphonse, for which the blond was grateful. He seemed receptive enough to the idea of a treaty between the three countries, and promised to speak to the emperor about it.

Al and Mei had enough time left over after lunch to go back to their hotel for a few hours for some entertainment before going out and exploring the town.

-

The conditions of the Prospekt were even worse than they'd appeared from the carriage.

“This is disgusting,” Al muttered. “How can they allow so many of their people to live in such squalor?”

Mei shook her head. “I'm not even sure it was this bad at home when I was growing up. At least then there weren't people walking around in finery all around us...”

Al pulled his girlfriend close to him. “The worst part is that I'm not even sure that we could talk to any of the diplomats about this...”

-

The culture of Drachma was a source of interest to both Mei and Alphonse. Although Alphonse had grown up in a stratocracy, Drachma was different. Drachma was a monarchy with a military base... it was strange. Civil servants were given military rank, but the Emperor never had fought in an actual war. It seemed strange that a man with no military experience could rule a military country.

To Mei, it seemed no stranger than Amestris had. Still, it had its interesting facets. The respect a person received, in many cases, was only equivalent to their military rank. Those with low ranks were not really given any credence.

What's more, it was almost an aristocracy. Old families with money sent their children to military schools, and those children gained high ranks, and went on to be important in society. Neither of them had really seen anyone who didn't come from a good family who had any sort of respectable rank.

It shouldn't have been terribly surprising, as they had both known that Drachma had had a strong military, but neither had expected the type of government that they encountered.

-

Despite the hollowing experience of the Prospekt, the two foreigners had a relatively nice trip. They enjoyed the scenery as well as the food, and they even managed to walk on the Prospekt during one of the long White Nights.

It had been a surreal experience, and no one seemed in their right mind. Al was sure that half of the people they encountered had been delusional from lack of sleep, and he was surprised that there weren't more injuries or fatalities during the White Nights.

They did not stay up to watch the sun set, as Mei implored that they had more important things to do back in their hotel rooms. 

And, well, Al couldn't argue with that.

-

They had both known that there had been tension in Drachma, but neither of them knew any details until the day before they left.

It had started out with Mei hearing a reference to “Bloody Sunday”. Naturally, she'd inquired as to what, exactly, that was, and both she and Al had been horrified at the explanation

Peaceful protestors, who had been marching to present a petition to the Emperor, had been fired upon by the Imperial Guard. Over 90 people had died, according to official reports, but the man they were speaking to claimed that as many as 4,000 people had lost their lives that day.

Both Mei and Al felt very unsettled at this information, and Al wondered why he'd never heard of such a thing before.

-

They never spoke to the Emperor, but the officials all assured them that the Emperor would be willing to sign a treaty upon their next visit.

-

They left Drachma with mixed feelings about the entire affair... and distracted themselves from such feelings on the train ride back to Amestris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am never taking a Russian literature class again.  
> if you're curious, Петроград: железнодорожная станция is just Russian for Petrograd Railway Depot. Apparently. I don't take Russian. I'm relying on dict.cc.  
> If you didn't guess, Petrograd/Peter is based heavily off of St. Petersburg.  
> It is Nikolai Mikhailovich. In Russian it is impolite to call someone you don't know well by just their first name. Patronymic is required until you can use nicknames.  
> The White Nights are apparently both beautiful and invoke a supernatural quality. Petersburg has a lot of that shit.  
> Bright Sadness: Lent. Wasn't sure about the religious undertones of Drachma as compared to Russia, so I used their term.  
> Pascha: Easter. Again, used the Russian Orthodox term.  
> Prospekt: Nevksy Prospekt. Info from my Russian class, Gogol, and other Russian authors.  
> Bloody Sunday was a real thing. Look it up.


	5. Day 5: Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps not the most traditional sort of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, brotherhood verse. Post-canon.  
> Al is around 22 here, so Mei is around 20; Ed and Winry 23.  
> Agrees with canon, so EdWin and Führer Grumman.

Although Alphonse and Mei had both certainly done some ambassadorial work before their wedding – and even once or twice during their engagement – but few had expected them to continue with it after they were married. Yet that is exactly what the couple did. Mei was still a Xingese princess, and Al was still an Amestrian who had visited just about every corner of the country, and, frankly, neither of them had been able to decide where they'd live. So they decided to travel.

They were both young, and neither of them had much of a desire for children – at least, not yet – so what better time to travel?

Of course, it was work, not just exploring foreign capitals. Amestris had gotten into a lot of political messes under Bradley, and it was Al's responsibility to sort it out. He was sometimes dismissed as being too young for the job, and sometimes the dignitaries would request confirmation from Führer Grumman. They would be assured that Al came most highly recommended.

It was annoying, but Alphonse wasn't his brother, and he was polite as they apologised. “No, no, I understand completely!” he would say. “There was no harm done; it's not a problem!” He'd laugh kindly about the whole affair, and murmur to Mei that night that everything had been resolved before turning his full attention on his wife.

Fortunately for Xiao Mei, they were usually put in a suite or apartment, so she could find another room away from such... disturbing images.

-

Al and Mei were both sure that it seemed strange to other people. After all, who would willingly spend their early wedded years away from home?

But that was just it: they weren't away from home. They made their home wherever they happened to be staying. Al kept in touch with Ed and Winry, and of course Xiao Mei came with them wherever they went.

It was nice.

-

They returned to Amestris when Ed announced that he and Winry were going to have another baby. Alphonse, naturally, wanted to meet his new niece or nephew, and he managed to gain clearance from Führer Grumman easily enough.

...Ed and Winry weren't too pleased with how much noise Alphonse and Mei made, though. Especially after it woke the baby up.


	6. Day 6: Early Mornings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place around the same time as "tradition"  
> Al is 17-18; Mei is 15-16.  
> Xing.  
> Brotherhood verse.

Ever since he got his body back, Al loved sleeping in. Unfortunately, this was something on which he and Mei could never agree. Mei had been getting up early all of her life. She spent the early morning meditating, doing stretches, and practising her martial arts. She took a bath before breakfast, and it was usually around that time when Alphonse woke up.

At first, the Xingese princess was perfectly okay with this. She understood that Alphonse might need more sleep than Mei herself, and... well, he was too cute while he slept, and sometimes it was her job to wake the Amestrian boy up.

It was true that Alphonse was perhaps a bit different from the image that she'd had in her head whle they waited for the Promised Day to arrive... in fact, he was even better. He was absolutely _golden_. Even his skin had more of a golden undertone than the normal Amestrian pink one... he was beautiful. Mei was sure that she'd never find anyone more beautiful than Alphonse.

But beautiful or not, his incessant sleeping in had become a small source of annoyance. There was so much to do before breakfast, and Alphonse missed every bit of it.

Fortunately for Mei, Alphonse was good natured about it. His only request was that Mei slowly work him up to waking up at the same time she did, for the sake of his sleep cycle. She agreed enthusiastically, and rambled on about how excited she was that he was willing to wake up early.

-

However, although Alphonse was certainly trying to be a good sport, Mei found that he was pretty useless in the early morning. He tried, but he was often too tired and out of it to be of much use.

It didn't help that they started the routine with meditation... and more than once, Alphonse ended up very close to nodding off before he caught himself. He tried to pass this off as if nothing had happened, but he wasn't so sure that Mei hadn't caught him.

His coordination was off when Mei tried to teach him some basic martial arts moves, and he found himself missing his bed.

When he realised that Mei was becoming annoyed with the effects of his fatigue, he apologised with a sleepy smile.

Mei couldn't help it; all of her annoyance melted away at that smile.

-

She let Alphonse sleep in. He woke up a bit earlier than he had when he'd first arrived in Xing; he managed to make time for a bath (away from Mei, of course; their relationship was far from reaching _that_ point, no matter how pretty he found her) before the trio (including Xiao Mei, of course), sat down for breakfast.

Mei would chatter on about what she'd done that morning while Xiao Mei acted it out, and Alphonse would listen intently and smile.

-

A week before Alphonse was due to leave, Mei came into the gardens for a surprise: the blonde was already there, meditating. Mei beamed and joined him.

-

She accompanied him to the train station. “Thank you so much for coming!”

“No, no, thank you! I learned so much about Alkahestry! I'm going to try to come back soon...!”

She grinned. “That would be wonderful! You'll always be welcome here, Alphonse!” Xiao Mei nodded fervently.

“Thank you,” Al said with a smile. “I'll write you!”

“Be safe!”

“I will!”

Mei couldn't take it anymore; she hugged him. “Keep up with your meditation, okay?”

“Of course. That, and tea.”

She smiled, starting to get teary-eyed. “Of course.”

“You should come and visit if you can. We'll be glad to have you.”

“I'll try to visit!” Mei promised.

Xiao Mei jumped over to Alphonse's shoulder and rubbed her head against his. “I'll miss you, Xiao Mei.” He turned his attention to Mei. “And you, too, of course.”

“I'll miss you, too, Alphonse.”

The conductor called for boarding. “Well... I think that I should go...”

“Okay...” Mei murmured.

“I'll write you.”

“I'll write _you_.”

Al kissed Mei's forehead. Xiao Mei jumped from his shoulder. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” Mei sniffled and released Alphonse.

He waved as he boarded his train.


	7. Day 7: Breath and Pulse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW I AM SO BAD AT DOING THIS ON TIME  
> BUT OKAY HERE'S THE LAST ONE
> 
> it actually only loosely fits the theme but whatever I'm half asleep right now. I was gonna lead up to them having sex, but... yeah. I'm exhausted. Maybe another time. I like these two.
> 
> Amestris, post-canon. Alphonse is 18 and Mei is 16.

It took a while for Alphonse and Mei's relationship to get to... that point. Alphonse found her pretty even when he first arrived in Xing, but he convinced himself that it would never work, and that they were just very good friends. ...Mei had different ideas.

She came to visit him about four months after he arrived back in Amestris. Alphonse and Winry prepared a room for the princess and her panda, while Ed complained that “the little annoying girl” was coming to stay with them for a while. Al and Winry both rolled their eyes at him, and Winry promised to bake a fresh pie for the day when her train was due, and Alphonse made sure that the house was clean from top to bottom. Ed, again, complained from the couch... until Winry made him help out.

Mei came right on time, and hugged Alphonse when she saw him at the train station. “I've missed you!”

“I've missed you, too.” He hugged her back, and wondered why he felt so strange.

-

Ed was thoroughly shocked to see Mei. He hadn't seen her since shortly after the Promised Day, after all, and she had certainly grown in that time.

Mei smirked. Xiao Mei bit Ed's finger.

-

She went back to Xing only too soon for Alphonse's tastes.

The day before she left, she asked to speak to Alphonse in her room. He obliged, naturally, and sat down next to her on the bed.

“This has been wonderful, Alphonse!”

“It really has. It's been great having you here...”

She kissed him. Alphonse's brain couldn't fully comprehend what was happening; his body took over, and he closed his eyes and kissed her back as his heart beat wildly. It was clumsy and somewhat awkward – clearly neither were particularly experience with this sort of thing just yet. She pulled away before the kiss got too intense, and blushed furiously, her heart racing as well. “Alphonse...?”

“Hm?”

“Do you think... when you come to Xing next time... we could go on a date?”

“I'd love that.”

Mei smiled. “I should be seventeen by then...”

“Mm, then we'll have to do something special to celebrate...”

She exhaled and kissed him again, this time burying her fingers in his beautiful golden hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist. There was no tugging at clothes or anything like that just yet – which was a good thing, because Ed opened the door without knocking to find his brother kissing the princess.

He blinked, once, twice, three times, before closing the door and walking away.

Neither Alphonse nor Mei noticed.


End file.
